Venus

Venus, often referred to as Earth’s “Evil Twin,” is the second planet from the Sun and shares many similarities with our home planet, such as size, mass, and composition. However, Venus is shrouded in an opaque, toxic atmosphere comprised primarily of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid clouds, which create a runaway greenhouse effect, trapping heat and raising surface temperatures to a scorching 900 degrees Fahrenheit (475 degrees Celsius). This inhospitable environment is characterized by intense air pressure, powerful…

People watch on a computer monitor the latest Italian Ministry of Tourism nine-million-euro campaign showing Botticelli's Venus depicted as a virtual influencer in Rome, Wednesday, May 3, 203. A nine-million-euro advertising campaign by Italy’s conservative government that has transformed “The Birth of Venus,” painted by Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli in Florence around 1485, into a virtual influencer has met with widespread derision. Credit: AP…

Skyscapes during the twilight are undoubtedly beautiful and mesmerizing. However, it can be creative too with a sense of perfect presentation. An astrophotographer, Dario Giannobile showed proof of it. This has been featured as today's NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day. It is a fascinating image of twilight in the shape of a flower, which is basically a journey of day into night. How did this photographer managed to capture it? Read on.NASA's explanation for the imageThis creative time-lapse skyscape image shared by NASA…

An occultation is a celestial event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. In this Jupiter occultation illustration, we see our Moon passing directly between Earth and Jupiter, thereby blocking or “hiding” Jupiter from view. This is a relatively rare event because it requires the Moon and Jupiter to be very closely aligned along the line of sight from Earth. When it does happen, it can be a spectacular sight for amateur and professional astronomers alike. Credit:…

Maat Mons is displayed in this computer-generated, three-dimensional perspective of the surface of Venus. The viewpoint is located 634 kilometers (393 miles) north of Maat Mons at an elevation of 3 kilometers (2 miles) above the terrain. Lava flows extend for hundreds of kilometers across the fractured plains shown in the foreground, to the base of Maat Mons. NASA Magellan mission synthetic aperture radar data is combined with radar altimetry to develop a three-dimensional map of the surface. The vertical scale in this…

A space advocacy organization is rallying the scientific community in an effort to revive NASA’s VERITAS mission to Venus, which has been delayed indefinitely due to staff and budgeting issues at the space agency.Astronomers Could Soon Get Warnings When SpaceX Satellites Threaten Their ViewThis week, the Planetary Society published an open letter to Congress calling for a 2029 launch date for the Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy (VERITAS) mission. The letter has already been signed by…

The Maine Farmers’ Almanac started featuring Native American-inspired names for full Moons in the 1930s, which have since become well-known and commonly utilized. As per this almanac, the full Moon in April is referred to as the Pink Moon, a name derived from the herb moss pink. This plant, also called creeping phlox, moss phlox, or mountain phlox, is indigenous to the eastern United States and is among the first widespread blossoms to appear in spring. Credit: NASA/Joel KowskyThe Next Full Moon is the Pink, Sprouting…

A false-color image of the sulfurous Venusian cloud cover was produced using two ultraviolet channels from Akatsuki, the Japanese PLANET-C, and Venus Climate Orbiter, which highlights the convective turbulence of the planet’s tropical regions, in contrast with the clear, smoother polar regions. Credit: Daimia Bouic/JAXA/ISAS/DARTSExperts from the Universities of Seville and of the Basque Country believe that discontinuity may be playing a very significant role in the acceleration of this planet’s atmosphere.A group of…

Maat Mons is displayed in this computer-generated, three-dimensional perspective of the surface of Venus. The viewpoint is located 634 kilometers (393 miles) north of Maat Mons at an elevation of 3 kilometers (2 miles) above the terrain. Lava flows extend for hundreds of kilometers across the fractured plains shown in the foreground, to the base of Maat Mons. NASA Magellan mission synthetic aperture radar data is combined with radar altimetry to develop a three-dimensional map of the surface. The vertical scale in this…

In a rare planetary alignment, five planets (Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Uranus and Mars) have lined up near the moon. The rare occurrence is visible in tonight's sky. The five planets under the moon are visible from around the world.  The five-planet spread can be seen from anywhere on Earth, as long as you have clear skies and a view of the west. “That's the beauty of these planetary alignments. It doesn't take much,” NASA astronaut Bill Cooke said. As per the NASA astronomer, Jupiter, Venus and…